Blog: Budget Means Going Broke Methodically

Following weeks of deliberations, highlighted by conflicting data and heated exchanges, the BOC finally passed an operating budget for FY 13 by a 3-2 vote.

That was nothing short of miraculous, considering that the heels of those favoring a more austere budget-Rothschild and Frazier-were dug in so deep it’s a wonder they didn’t topple over backwards.

But at least they balanced the budget, which is more than can be said of the state’s budget for that fiscal year, what with the General Assembly session ending with a so-called doomsday, or default budget, which (unless the governor calls for a special session and the legislature agrees to a balanced budget) will automatically impose some $500 million in spending cuts, with education taking a major hit, as would local budgets, and cuts in law enforcement and state employees.

But Republican legislators contend that a special session is unwarranted, calling the use of the term “doomsday” a misnomer. And with Del. Justin Ready, R-Carroll, arguing that “a budget that increases by $700 million instead of $1.1 billion is not a doomsday budget, especially with no teacher pension transfer to counties.”

Now, as Allen J. Litchtman, a professor of history at American University and a national political analyst (who described this year’s session as a Session from Hell) said, “one-party rule leads to one-party responsibility, and that there’s plenty of blame to go  around for the budget foul-up.”

“Gov. O’Malley has commendably assumed some of the blame; and Speaker of the House Michael Busch for realizing too late that the protracted negotiations weren’t going to produce a balanced budget before session’s end.

But he places-rightfully so I’d say-most blame for the debacle on Senate President Mike Miller, who “held the state budget hostage to his fixation for seeking additional revenue through expanded legalized gambling-most notably by having a casino in his home county.”

In short, “if he had not uncompromisingly insisted that revenue shortfalls be met through gambling revenues, a budget agreement would have been likely reached in time.”

We can only hope, that at the upcoming special session he’ll no longer be acting as an advocate for the gambling industry and do what’s right for the state’s greater good.

Quote of the week: “The budget should be balanced; public debt should be reduced; and the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered, and assistance to foreign lands curtailed, lest Rome become bankrupt.’ Marcus Tullius Cicero, ancient Roman lawyer, scholar, writer, orator, statesman (106 BC-42 BC